Improvement in combining a pistol with a sword



D. A.'C()URTER.

Pistol Sword.

Patented March 11, 1862.

MPETERS, PHDTO-UTHOGRAFMYER. WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

D. A. OOURTER, .OF BELOIT, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT lN COMBINING A PISTOL WITH A SWORD.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,625, dated March 11, 1862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID A. Countries, of Beloit, county of Rock, State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvemen ts in Fire-Arms, of which the following is a full description, reference being bad to the annexed drawings, making part of this speciiication, in which- Figure 1 is a top view of my said arm, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section taken through the center thereof vertically.

My invention relates to that class of breechloading fire-arms which have a transverse breech-piece and in the combination and incorporation thereof with a sword and the guard thereof around the hilt.

The drawings represent a transverse breechloading pistol in combination with a sword.

Like letters represent like parts of the different figures of the drawings.

A represents the hilt ot' the sword, and also the stock of the pistol.

B represents the blade of the sword, which is of the ordinary kind.

U represents the barrel of the pistol, which is dovetailed to the sword, as shown by a, and cross-keyed at the rear end, as shown by b.

D represents the breech of the pistol. It consists of a transverse vertical channel, in which works the breech-piece or magazine E.

F represents the hammer, pivoted at c.

d represents a small dog, pivoted to the hammer at e; and frepresents a spring arranged to press against the said dog, and which is fixed to the main pivot of the hammer, as shown. The oftice of this dog is to raise the breech-piece E when the hammer is drawn back, so as to bring the successive cartridges 9 opposite the barrel of the pistol. This function it performs by catching in a small notch cut in the rear face of the flan ge h of the breechpiece every time the hammer is drawn back.

t' represents a small lever, pivoted at j, and with a spring, is, hearing against its upper part. The object of this lever is to hold the breech-piece in a fixed position after the dog at has raised it to the required height and while the hammer is descending on the cap. This function it performs by means of a pinpoint, I, made on its upper end at right angles with it. This point, every time the breech is raised, enters a corresponding hole made in the flange end of the breech-piece. The hole is shown in dotted lines by m. The lower end of the lever i is made quite broad in comparison with its upper end, and is cut at an angle, as shown at n, Fig. 1, so as form on its side a kind of sliding cam.

-0 represents a yielding knuckle hung on a pin, P, and fitted in jaws Q, made in the hammer to receiveit. This knuckle is pressed forward by a spring, r. Its object is to operate the lever 17, which function it performs by yielding when the hammer falls and sliding over the cam-like surface of the lever above referred to; but after the hammer has fallen the spring presses the knuckle fair under the lever, so that when the hammer is raised it presses the lower end of the leverin andthrows the upper end out, detaching it from the breech-piece, while at the same time the dog d raises up the said piece, when thepoint of the lever again comes forward and clinches it.

G represents the mainspring of the pistol; H, the trigger, and I the trigger-sprin g.

The hollow breech, it will be seen, sits on the same vertical plane with the sword-blade, by which means it can be incorporated with the guard J of the sword-hilt, so as to almost entirely hide it. The said breech is made longer than the breech-piece, so as to project above and below it when in the position shown. By this means a guide is furnished for the breech-piece to steady it and hold itin its proper relation to thebarrel of the pistol. The nipples S, upon which the percussion-caps are placed, are made in the rear side of the breech-piece, so that when the hammer falls it strikes, as it were, against the rear end of the pistol-barrel, and gives little or no jar to the piece. The front and rear sides and the two flanges of the breech-piece are made to fit accurately in the breech; but the two long sides 1) e fit it loosely, as shown in the draw-- ings, to allow for expansion, that the piece may not become set when rapidly fired.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s,

1. Combining with a sword a pistol with a transverse sliding breech-piece.

2. The hollow breech extending beyond the I breechpiece, for the guiding the same.

3. Combining the guard of the sword-hilt with the hollow breech.

D. A. OOURTER.

purpose of holding and Witnesses CHARLES PARKER, AMos BROADNAX. 

